RAIN OR SHINE ICE CREAM

Everyone knows Vancouverites are addicted to certain things: exercise, the outdoors, lycra, and coffee are among the obvious. Our addiction to good dessert is perhaps less well known, but equally enjoyed. And in a climate that never really gets cold, there's always an appetite for ice cream.

Rain or Shine Ice Cream first opened in Kitsilano in 2013. A second location opened in Cambie Village at the end of March 2015, with a third apparently in the works. The husband-and-wife team that started Rain or Shine had a basic premise: to make homemade (in shop), local, sustainable, organic ice cream. The milk is sourced from Birchwood Dairy in the Fraser Valley. The other ingredients are sourced locally wherever possible, with hazelnuts from Agassiz, berries from the Fraser Valley, and craft beer from Vancouver.

The menu has ten permanent flavours, which include everything from old fashioned Vanilla and Chocolate, to lesser known flavours such as London Fog and Blueberry Balsamic. There is also a rotating cast of five seasonal flavours based on available produce, such as Malted Milk Chocolate Honeycomb and Brassneck Inertia Stout. The ice cream can be served in a cup or cone (which alone is worth the visit), with or without toppings. Milkshakes are available for those on a liquid diet. If you're particularly adventurous, Taco Tuesdays bring a whole new experience - sundaes served inside waffle tacos.

While you can't possibly go wrong, our favourite flavour is the Honey Lavender. In a cone, of course.